Pittsburgh Pirates Slugger Rowdy Tellez Gets Revenge Against Toronto Blue Jays

Rowdy Tellez went 3-for-4 with four RBI against his former team, the Toronto Blue Jays, on Sunday, but no other Pittsburgh Pirates batters were able to drive in a run.

Jun 2, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Rowdy Tellez (44) runs to third base on a ball hit by Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Ji Hwan Bae (3) during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Toronto Blue Jays may have held on for a win on Sunday, but one former player sure made them pay for letting him go.

Rowdy Tellez, once a fan-favorite in Toronto, drove in all four of the Pittsburgh Pirates' runs in Sunday's series finale at the Rogers Centre. The 6-foot-4, 270-pound first baseman went 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and three singles.

Rowdy Tellez with his 4th RBI of the day, just as we all predicted

80.1 MPH exit velocity, .590 xBA pic.twitter.com/RlBNt32zkw

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) June 2, 2024

The Blue Jays won 5-4 anyways, thanks to another plus-sized slugger – Daniel Vogelbach. The 6-foot, 270-pound designated hitter went 2-for-4 with a go-ahead, two-RBI double in the bottom of the fifth.

Still, Tellez put on a show Sunday, raising his season batting average by 17 points and his OPS by 42 points. On the whole this year, Tellez is batting .194 with one home run, 12 RBI and a .505 OPS in 50 appearances.

The Blue Jays drafted Tellez in the 30th round back in 2013. He remained in the franchise's farm system until he made his major league debut in 2018.

Tellez broke out in 2019, racking up 21 home runs and 54 RBI in 111 games his rookie year. He posted a .886 OPS during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, at which point he was still just 25 years old.

Toronto traded Tellez to the Milwaukee Brewers for pitchers Bowden Francis and Trevor Richards midway through 2021, however, marking an end to his time in Canada.

After closing out that season on a hot streak with the Brewers, Tellez blasted 35 home runs and 89 RBI in 2022. Tellez failed to live up to that success in 2023, though, and he got non-tendered in November.

Tellez signed a one-year deal with the Pirates in December and has served as a veteran presence in their lineup through two-plus months of the 2024 season.

With the Blue Jays sitting at 28-30, a lot more than Tellez likely stands between them and playoff contention. Regardless, watching him mash Toronto's pitchers on Sunday probably sparked some conflicted feelings in the hearts and minds of Blue Jays fans.

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